Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments:

Detective Inspector Hazel Micallef is having a bad year. After major back surgery, she has no real option but to move into her ex-husbands basement and suffer the humiliation of his new wife bringing her meals down on a tray. As if that werent enough, Hazels octogenarian mother secretly flushes Hazels stash of painkillers down the toilet.

Its almost a relief when Hazel gets a call about a body fished up by tourists in one of the lakes near Port Dundas. But what raises the hair on the back of Micallef s neck is that the local paper has just published the first installment of a serialized story featuring such a scenario. Even before they head out to the lake with divers to recover the body, she and DC James Wingate, leading the police detachment in Micallef s absence, know they are being played. But its not clear who is pulling their strings and why, nor is what they find at the lake at all what they expected. Its Micallef herself who is snared, caught up in a cryptic game devised by someone who knows how to taunt her into opening a cold case, someone who knows that nothing will stop her investigation.

The second novel featuring Hazel Micallef, “a compelling, unlikely hero” (Entertainment Weekly), is a stunning and suspenseful exploration of the obsessive far reaches of love, confirming Inger Ash Wolfe as one of the best mystery writers today.

Synopsis:

Synopsis:

There is already a neat trench in the narrow gap between the tall cliffs. Nelson looks at it with pleasure . . . Then he looks closer. The trench appears to be full of bones.

Elly Griffithss Ruth Galloway novels have been praised as “highly atmospheric” (New York Times Book Review) and “remarkable” (Richmond Times-Dispatch). Now the beloved forensic archeologist returns, called in to investigate when human bones surface on a remote Norfolk beach.

Just back from maternity leave, Ruth is finding it difficult to juggle motherhood and work. The presence of DCI Harry Nelson&#8212;the married father of her daughter, Kate&#8212;does not help. The bones, skeletons of six men with their arms bound, turn out to be about seventy years old, which leads Nelson and Ruth to the war years, a desperate time on this stretch of coastland. Home Guard veteran Archie Whitcliffe reveals the existence of a secret the old soldiers have vowed to protect with their lives. But then Archie is killed and a German journalist arrives, asking questions about Operation Lucifer, a plan to stop a German invasion, and a possible British war crime. What was Operation Lucifer? And who is prepared to kill to keep its secret?

Synopsis:

Detective Inspector Hazel Micallef is having a bad year. After major back surgery, she moves into her ex-husbands home to be cared for by his new wife. As if that werent enough to cope with, her octogenarian mother is insisting that Hazel end her dependence on painkillersan insistence that takes the form of secretly flushing Hazels stash down the toilet.

Its almost a relief when Hazel gets a call about a body found in one of the lakes near Port Dundas. But what raises the hair on the back of her neck is that the local paper has just published the first installment of a serialized story featuring such a scenario. Even before they head out to the lake, she and Detective Constable James Wingate know they are being played. But who is pulling their strings and why are not clear, nor is what they find at the lake at all what they expected. This is no simple drowning accident or even a straightforward murder. Its Micallef herself who is snared, caught up in a cryptic game being played by a maven of the art of deception.

"Synopsis"
by Firebrand,
There is already a neat trench in the narrow gap between the tall cliffs. Nelson looks at it with pleasure . . . Then he looks closer. The trench appears to be full of bones.

Elly Griffithss Ruth Galloway novels have been praised as “highly atmospheric” (New York Times Book Review) and “remarkable” (Richmond Times-Dispatch). Now the beloved forensic archeologist returns, called in to investigate when human bones surface on a remote Norfolk beach.

Just back from maternity leave, Ruth is finding it difficult to juggle motherhood and work. The presence of DCI Harry Nelson&#8212;the married father of her daughter, Kate&#8212;does not help. The bones, skeletons of six men with their arms bound, turn out to be about seventy years old, which leads Nelson and Ruth to the war years, a desperate time on this stretch of coastland. Home Guard veteran Archie Whitcliffe reveals the existence of a secret the old soldiers have vowed to protect with their lives. But then Archie is killed and a German journalist arrives, asking questions about Operation Lucifer, a plan to stop a German invasion, and a possible British war crime. What was Operation Lucifer? And who is prepared to kill to keep its secret?

"Synopsis"
by Firebrand,

Detective Inspector Hazel Micallef is having a bad year. After major back surgery, she moves into her ex-husbands home to be cared for by his new wife. As if that werent enough to cope with, her octogenarian mother is insisting that Hazel end her dependence on painkillersan insistence that takes the form of secretly flushing Hazels stash down the toilet.

Its almost a relief when Hazel gets a call about a body found in one of the lakes near Port Dundas. But what raises the hair on the back of her neck is that the local paper has just published the first installment of a serialized story featuring such a scenario. Even before they head out to the lake, she and Detective Constable James Wingate know they are being played. But who is pulling their strings and why are not clear, nor is what they find at the lake at all what they expected. This is no simple drowning accident or even a straightforward murder. Its Micallef herself who is snared, caught up in a cryptic game being played by a maven of the art of deception.

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